As computer accessories become more sophisticated, with added buttons and complex software features, those of you looking for something a bit more traditional may begin to feel like a redheaded stepchild from the 1800s. Momma Corsair has not forgotten about you. She’s baked up a traditional homemade goodie. The Corsair Vengeance K60 Performance FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is guaranteed to make your computing and gaming time familiar and hassle-free.

The K60 keyboard, is certain to seize the attention of traditional keyboard lovers and gamers alike. The high pressure mechanical feel stirs memories of old typewriters and early keyboard setups. Yet the K60 is devoid of unwanted frills, such as a software utility, programming buttons and deciphering macro setups. The box contents include the keyboard and a wrist rest for your left wrist. That is all folks. But there are secrets in that wrist rest. Within are 10 extra replacement keys. There are red-colored replacements for keys 1-6 and red-colored replacement keys for the tried and true “WASD” (keys W, A,S and D) movement keys. These keys are some of the most used by gamers. The brightly colored replacements are a nice touch and really standout for ease of use in fast-paced gaming sessions.

The left wrist rest is also a clever little hideout for something more; It’s a key for the keys! This plastic key easily locks around and grips a single keyboard button to essentially, “unlock” or detach it from the keyboard. Users can then replace the removed key with its colored twin. The removed key can then be easily stored in the wrist pad for safe keeping. The feature is smart, handy and incredibly simple.

However, if necessity is the Mother of invention, then ironically this feature–to swap out color-coded keys–will surely give birth to more wanted freedom. Gamers will inevitably want more keys and more colors than initially offered by Corsair. Lets hope replacements for all the keyboard buttons, will be made available to purchase after market. Additional colors would be nice too!

Key-interchangeability, is the most prominent standout feature on the K60 keyboard. Thankfully, the board’s spartan design did not call for the omission of certain other features. One USB port is included and placed at the top of the board for accessibility. Despite how much we love mechanical keyboards and retro aesthetics, I am happy to report the K60 also sports the now fairly standard media player and media center control options. Functions such as play, pause, fast-forward, rewind, skip, mute and volume controls are all parked conveniently in the top-right corner of the keyboard.

The simplicity of the Corsair K60 is relaxing and quite needed. Over the years I have owned numerous keyboards with countless functions and software options that went completely unused. To make matters worse, said wasted functions would often, just get in the way and trip up my gaming or typing if accidentally pressed. Such is not the case here. The mechanical keyboard style is not for everyone. Many prefer the newer shorter more chicklet-sized keys. Lazy fingers that cannot be bothered with the full deep press needed for typing on this pleasantly familiar relic, need not apply.

With that said, general use on the K60 is comfortable and intuitive. The layout wastes no space and makes for a distinguished and powerful appearance. Keys are responsive with no noticeable lag. The button placement is evenly spaced, as Corsair has only incorporated the necessary elements here. Thus, the keyboard is smaller than many others on the market, which are targeting gamers. The result is ease of use, where all keys can be reached without hassle. Plus the red colored replacement keys are textured for a little extra grip to prevent slippage. And that wrist pad/storage unit, adds comfort for long hours of computing or gaming.

The Corsair K60 Mechanical Gaming Keyboard is a simple and powerful tool that cements the old adage: Less is more. The layout is clean and elegant and compliments the classic mechanical construction, which itself enhances work and play.

Editor Rating:

[Rating: 4/5]

Great

Bottom Line: Those looking for macro software, programmable buttons, removable number pads, LED monitoring screens and so forth, should look to more expensive offerings. The Corsair Vengeance K60 Performance FPS Mechanical Gaming keyboard is a distinguished no-nonsense keyboard that is comfortable, affordable and striking!

Pros

Comfortable

Interchangeable keys

Mechanical design

Wrist rest/storage unit

Cons

Mechanical design not for everyone

Too simple for some

You can buy the Corsair Vengeance K60 Performance FPS Mechanical Gaming Keyboard at Amazon for $96.47.

Shawn Sanders

Shawn loves gadgets, literature, history and games. For 10yrs+ he's straddled both the comic book & video game industries, as a writer, editor, marketing officer & producer. Shawn got his start in tech & games as an editor & Hardware Director for GameRevolution.com. More notable accomplishments include Executive Producer on mobile games Geometry Wars: Retro Evolved & The Shroud.